1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device with a display panel having a display screen whose vertical and horizontal dimensions are different from each other, the display device incorporating a technology for easily changing the display screen between a landscape display mode and a portrait display mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some display devices for use with personal computers include a display unit having a display screen of an elongate rectangular shape as viewed in front elevation. The display unit can be used selectively in a landscape display mode and a portrait display mode depending on how images are to be displayed on the display screen.
In such a display device, a rotational shaft Oa is disposed centrally on the display unit, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The display device is placed on a support surface, and the rotational shaft Oa is positioned at such a height from the support surface that the display unit does not conflict with the support surface when it is turned between the landscape display mode and the portrait display mode. There is a large positional difference B between the lower edge of a display unit housing CAB when it is in the landscape display mode ah and the lower edge of the display unit housing CAB when it is in the portrait display mode av. If the width and height of the display unit housing CAB in the landscape display mode ah are represented by W and H, respectively, the difference B is expressed by the following equation:B=(W−H)/2
In the landscape display mode ah, the lower edge of the display unit housing CAB is higher than the lower edge thereof in the portrait display mode av, making the viewer feel odd.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-302491 discloses a display device incorporating a vertically moving mechanism for vertically moving the rotational shaft when the display unit is turned. When the display unit is turned from the landscape display mode to the portrait display mode, the rotational shaft moves upwardly. When the display unit is turned from the portrait display mode to the landscape display mode, the rotational shaft moves downwardly.
With the disclosed display device, the display unit is prevented from conflicting the support surface when it is turned between the landscape display mode and the portrait display mode, and the lower edge of the display unit housing in the landscape display mode is positionally close to the lower edge of the display unit housing in the portrait display mode.